Newsletter 2012 - Francis Holland School

consider myself a member of a profession, undefined by my sex. I am a doctor, not
a woman doctor, and I find myself resenting being labelled any other way. I was
once asked by the press how many women there were on a committee I had been
chairing for some years. I had to think for a few moments, then realised for the first
time that I was the only one! I think Westminster also gave me the confidence to
stand up and fight obvious unfairness and inequality. It had never entered my head
when I married Michael (a civilian) that the Army would treat me any differently
from a male officer after getting married. After a year I discovered I was wrong, and
that married women were not entitled to quarters, or even separation allowance
when serving in Northern Ireland. I was furious and led a strong campaign that got
me into a certain amount of trouble. Eventually, however, we succeeded in getting
Queen’s Regulations changed so that since 1980 married women serving in the
Armed Forces have the same entitlements as married men.
I am really grateful that I was able to have the education that I did, in the broadest
sense of the word, and I hope that today’s girls at Westminster are able to benefit as
I did.
A LONG TIME AGO
Alison Barnett
I am writing this article having joined the Old Girls’ Society Committee at the
beginning of this year as the Administrator. However looking back, I do have a
connection with Francis Holland School from 1999 which I would like to share
with you.
Whilst working in the desktop publishing department at Methodist Publishing
House in Peterborough, I typeset a Christmas Carol book called Love Shone Down.
Alongside the book we produced a promotional CD which featured a class of Year
6 girls and their teacher, Miss Kathleen Ferguson, from Francis Holland Junior
School. They also played a huge part in the book’s launch and after that I was
invited to come to the Christmas Concert at St Mary’s church that year (1999). The
girls were an absolute delight to be with and I still have the lovely ‘thank you’ letters
they all wrote to me after the event.
Jumping forward many years, changes in personal circumstances last summer
meant a move from Peterborough to London. I was invited to attend an interview
for a ‘Resources Assistant’ vacancy at Francis Holland, which came about having
been unsuccessful for a position in the Bursary a month earlier. I was delighted
to be offered this position and started at Graham Terrace in September 2011. I am
thoroughly enjoying being here; my work is very varied, keeps me busy and involves
me in lots of aspects of school life. It is a really great school with a wonderful staff
team who have made me very welcome.
I still catch myself smiling at how these events are linked and have brought me to
where I am today… I don’t think I believe in fate, but if I did – this is it!
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